My opinions of the first three studio albums largely mirror those I hold for the original Star Wars trilogy – Blue Album is ANH, Pinkerton is TESB, Green Album is ROTJ. Similarly my opinions of the last three studio albums largely mirror those I hold for the prequel Star Wars trilogy.

The saddest thing is that every album since Maladroit has made me seriously question the years of reverence and love I have held towards the originals, Weezer and Rivers. Maladroit is of course not without faults but I’ve always had a much warmer opinion towards it than most. My attitude towards Make Believe has also mellowed over the years, from denier to sympathiser – dare I say it’s a guilty pleasure, albeit only one that occurred due to what would follow.

As things have descended increasingly into self-parody, jabs at the industry and the sometimes outright cringe-worthy I have conditioned myself into believing that Rivers has been trolling us all this time. I get that they have to pay their bills. I get that he doesn’t owe us anything. That he’s not bound by obligation to write songs that sound a certain way or follow certain topics. But I can’t let myself believe that they have been satisfied with what they have put out over the last decade.

Plenty of great bands and artists have had weak periods and put out bad records but I’m struggling to think of any that have done so with such a run, so cruelly offering an occasional glimmer of hope here or there as someone (if not the band) laughs all the way to the bank.

Everything Will Be Alright in the End already feels too knowing, setting us up for an apology and return to form delivered as self-pastiche.